ONE of the hardest things for many people during lockdown has been being separated from beloved family members stuck in hospitals or in care homes.
Now, one Oxfordshire home has come up with a very simple solution.
Sherrie Hume, manager of Stowford House Care Centre in Shippon near Abingdon, looked at ways to reunite residents with loved ones while keeping to rules on social distancing.
Read also: Shoppers enraged by lack of social distancing at Bicester Village
She said: "As a care home manager you are constantly mindful of not just your residents' physical needs but their emotional needs too.
"Quality of life means we must take into consideration all aspects of a person’s wellbeing.
"I made the decision to adapt the side gate of our home, as I saw it as a solution to enabling our residents and their loved ones to reconnect whilst ensuring they maintain social distancing.
Read also: The first day back – what's it now like to go shopping in Oxford?
"It has given a much-needed boost to many of the residents and their families and I am a firm believer that happiness is linked to good health."
The Future Care Group, which owns the home, said staff had seen a 'significant difference' in residents' morale since the visitor’s gate was installed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here